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Bills from the 2009–10 session

Assembly Bill 62

The prosecution and venue for trial of certain offenses by certain state residents

Topics: Circuit court, Court: Procedure, District attorney, Elections, Ethics, Government Accountability Board, Lobbying

Stopped before the full Assembly voted

The recommended passing it, but the full Assembly never voted on it. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Feb 17, 2009

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, stopped here

    Stopped here. The full Assembly never voted on it.

  4. Senate vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 28, 2010: “Failed to pass pursuant to ⁠”

Read the bill

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What it would have done

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Under current law, with certain limited exceptions, civil violations of the elections, ethics, and lobbying regulation laws and of all other laws arising from or in relation to the official functions of the subject of an investigation or any matter that relates to elections, ethics, or lobbying regulation that are alleged to be committed by a resident of this state are prosecuted by the Government Accountability Board or by the district attorney for the prosecutorial unit (in most cases, the county) where the subject resides. With similar exceptions, civil violations of these laws by nonresidents are prosecuted by the board or by the district attorney for the prosecutorial unit where an alleged violation occurs. Criminal violations of these laws are prosecuted solely by the same district attorney, subject to the same exceptions. With certain limited exceptions, the trial in any such civil or criminal prosecution of a resident of this state, as well as in any lobbying license revocation action brought by the board, is held in circuit court for the county where the subject resides. With similar exceptions, the trial in any such civil or criminal prosecution of a nonresident of this state is held in circuit court for the county where an alleged violation occurs.

This bill provides, with similar exceptions, that all such civil violations shall be prosecuted by the board or by the district attorney for the prosecutorial unit where an alleged violation occurs, irrespective of the residence of the defendant. The bill also provides, with similar exceptions, that all such criminal violations shall be prosecuted solely by the district attorney for the prosecutorial unit where an alleged violation occurs, irrespective of the residence of the defendant. In addition, the bill provides, with limited exceptions, that the trial in any such civil or criminal prosecution, as well as in any lobbying license revocation action brought by the board, shall be held in circuit court for the county where the alleged violation occurs.

Read the full summary

Under the bill, the board has no responsibility for prosecution of any violations other than violations of the elections, ethics, and lobbying regulation laws.

The bill also deletes a statutory restriction on the disclosure of certain information related to the investigation or prosecution of laws arising from or in relation to the official functions of the person who is investigated or prosecuted.

Under the bill, the information may still be withheld if other laws authorize or require the information to be withheld or if the custodian can demonstrate that the public interest requires withholding.

Who's behind it

12 representatives are its ⁠. All 12 are Democrats.

3 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 15 names

Authors (12)

Signed on in support (3)

How lawmakers voted

There was one vote on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Judiciary and Ethics vote to recommend it

Passed, 6 to 4 · Jun 16, 2009

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Report passage recommended by committee on Judiciary and Ethics, Ayes 6, Noes 4”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Apr 28, 2010

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Jun 16, 2009

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  3. Jun 16, 2009

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 6 to 4.

  4. Apr 21, 2009

    The committee held a public hearing.

  5. Feb 17, 2009

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Judiciary and Ethics.

  6. Feb 17, 2009

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Feb 17, 2009 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Kessler, Soletski, Hubler, Cullen, Hilgenberg, Black, Berceau, Benedict, Danou, Pope-Roberts, Hixson and Parisi;Cosponsored by Senators Sullivan, Risser and Lehman

  2. Feb 17, 2009 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary and Ethics

  3. Apr 21, 2009 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  4. Jun 2, 2009 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  5. Jun 16, 2009 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by committee on Judiciary and Ethics, Ayes 6, Noes 4

  6. Jun 16, 2009 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  7. Apr 28, 2010 · Assembly

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

Terms on this page

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

More in the glossary

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary

From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

More in the glossary

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1

More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis

More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor

More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor

More in the glossary

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote

More in the glossary